Industrial Rehab Programs / Occupational Wellness

After a work related injury, returning to a job can be a difficult process, no matter what part of the body was injured. Our focus is assisting our clients in returning back to their jobs as efficiently as possible. We will work closely with the doctor, case manager, and the patient to develop a treatment plan to help transition the patient back to work.

Our Occupational Wellness Services Include:

• Job site analysis and ergonomic intervention
• Work conditioning program
• Work hardening program
• Functional Capacity Evaluation

Job site analysis and ergonomic intervention:
A job site analysis is a useful tool for the patient, doctor, and nurse case manager to determine if changes can be made in the work enviromnet to encourage preferred work conditions, proper work heights, and better use of body mechanics to promote safe work habits. An Occupational Therapist will come to the work site to evaluate the area and determine if changes can be made. Equipment recommendations can also be addressed. All evaluations include a concise report.

Work conditioning program:
The work conditioning program consists of a 3-4 hour session, 3-4 days per week. The Occupational Therapist will determine what conditioning exercises are appropriate to prepare a client to re-enter the work force after an injury or a medical occurance. There may not be a specific job that has been determined that the patient will be returning to, and therefore ht program is more general strength and conditioning. The evaluation is also used to determine if a patient is appropriate for this program and what recommendations can be made.

Work hardening program:
The work hardening program consists of a 4-6 hour session, 4-5 hours per week. A patient who knows what type of job he or she will be returning to would participate in this type of program, as it consists of stretching and conditioning exercises, but the emphasis is on work simulations. A job description will be obtained prior to the start of the program so that it can be tailored to the lifting capacity, frequency of tasks performed, as well as positional tolerances. The evaluation is also used to determine if a patient is appropriate for this program and what recommendations can be made.

Functional Capacity Evaluation:
Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCE’s) are performed by our therapists who have been trained in the matheson and J Tech Medical methods.
The four hour Functional Capacity Evaluation is a useful tool that is used to assist in determining at what capacity a patient is capable of returning to the workforce. A 4 hour FCE is recommended when the job that the client is returning to has already been determined. A job description with the critical job demands should be outlined with lifting guidelines, frequency, and postural tolerances. The FCE is then customized tot the worker’s critical job demands to help determine if the worker can perform the duties of that job safely. Safe work practices will be emphasized such as proper use of body mechanics with lifting as well as basic ergonomics. All FCE”s include a detailed report including findings and recommendations.
The 2 hour Functional Capacity Evaluation is recommended when there has not been a determination what type of job a client is returning to. This evaluation can help determine what type of job the person could tolerate such as a sedentary, light, medium, or heavy work capacity.
The focus of the evaluation is mainly to determine physical tolerances, strength, and range of motion. A basic lifting tolerance at an occasional and possibly a frequent level can be evaluated to guide the patient, doctor, and nurse case manager as to what types of jobs may be compatible for the patient.

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